The Aberdare range, north of Nairobi, rises to about 4,000 m. Its national park combines bamboo forest, high-altitude moorland, rivers and waterfalls; most people come to sleep in a lodge perched above a waterhole, watching elephants, buffalo and sometimes leopards or hyenas from the terrace. The two best-known lodges, Treetops and The Ark, can only be visited with a booking, and the park is hard to drive without a 4×4.
Highlights
The high-altitude landscapes
Mist-covered moorland and mountain forest, very different from the savannah; the mountain roads can be impassable after rain.
The Aberdare range
On the road to Nyeri, the ridge and the farmland form a natural viewpoint over the foothills.
Treetops and The Ark
Timber lodges on stilts, facing a waterhole and salt lick that animals visit at night; guests are collected from a starting hotel and there is no free access on arrival. Treetops is tied to history: it is where Princess Elizabeth learned in 1952 that she had become queen.
The waterfalls
Karuru and Gura Falls are among the tallest in Kenya and are reached on foot from a car park; check access and safety.
Practical info
Tips
- KWS announced an adult non-resident fee of US$70 from October 2025 (up from US$52), but the increase was challenged in court: confirm it. The forest lodges have their own rules: you sleep one night, with a transfer from a starting hotel; book ahead. A night here combines well with neighbouring Mount Kenya, see Mount Kenya, and with the 10-day itinerary.
How to get there
The main entrances are near Nyeri, about 150 km from Nairobi (around 3 hours); inside the park you travel by 4×4. Guests of the forest lodges are collected from the starting hotel.
Opening hours
Nearby
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